Ashfur's Chance
by Spottedheart of RiverClan
Summary: We all know that when Ashfur died, he went to StarClan, but he isn't happy there because he had left Squirrelflight behind and it wasn't enough for him to only watch over her from above, so he attempts to go back to the Clans and win her heart back from Bramblestar
1. Allegiances

Allegiances

ThunderClan

Leader**: Bramblestar- **large dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy (temporarily): **Brackenfur**\- golden brown tabby tom

Medicine Cats: **Jayfeather- **small light gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

**Leafpool- **light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Warriors

**Graystripe- **long-haired gray tom

**Dustpelt- **dark brown tabby tom

**Sandstorm- **pale-ginger she-cat with green eyes

**Cloudtail- **long-haired white tom with blue eyes (APPRENTICE, Sorrelpaw)

**Brightheart- **white she-cat with ginger patches

**Millie- **striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**Thornclaw- **golden brown tabby tom

**Spiderleg- **long-limbed black tom with a brown underbelly (APPRENTICE, Amberpaw)

**Birchfall- **light brown tabby tom

**Whitewing- **white she-cat with green eyes (APPRENTICE, Dewpaw)

**Berrynose- **cream-colored tom (APPRENTICE, Fernpaw)

**Mousewhisker- **gray-and-white tom

**Cinderheart- **gray tabby she-cat

**Ivypool- **silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes (APPRENTICE, Snowpaw)

**Lionblaze- **golden tabby tom with amber eyes

**Dovewing- **pale-gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Rosepetal- **dark cream she-cat

**Poppyfrost- **tortoiseshell she-cat (APPRENTICE, Lilypaw)

**Briarlight- **dark brown she-cat with a broken back

**Blossomfall- **tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

**Bumblestripe- **very pale-gray tom with black stripes (APPRENTICE, Seedpaw)

**Cherryfall- **ginger she-cat

**Molewhisker- **brown-and-cream tom

**Lilyheart- **dark tabby she-cat with white patches

Apprentices

**Amberpaw- **little pale-ginger she-cat with amber eyes

**Dewpaw- **gray-and-white tom with amber eyes

**Snowpaw- **fluffy white tom

**Hollypaw- **black she-cat with green eyes

**Fernpaw- **pale-gray-and-white she-cat

**Sorrelpaw- **dark-golden brown tabby tom

Queens

**Daisy- **long-furred cream she-cat

**Squirrelflight-** dark ginger she-cat with one white paw and green eyes (mother of Bramblestar's kits, Brookkit, pale-brown tabby she-kit, Tawnykit, very dark brown tom with green eyes)

Elders

**Purdy- **old tabby tom with a graying muzzle


	2. Prologue

Prologue

The moon shone dimly onto the cat's dead body lying at the bank, blood streaming into the lake, causing it to turn a pale red color. A jet-black she-cat looked at the body, letting a tear fall from her ivy-green eyes as she washed her bloody paws in the lake.

Out of the cat's dead body arose the spirit of the cat, whom the black she-cat wasn't able to see.

The starry cat looked at its bloody and broken body and let out a silent wail. Quick as a flash, he ran straight back to the ThunderClan camp, able to pass through the thorn barrier with ease, since he was no longer flesh.

The ghost approached a gorgeous ginger she-cat, who was sound asleep in her nest. The cat curled up beside the sleeping she-cat and nestled his head into her shoulder, sad knowing that she would not be able to feel or see his presence.

"My dear Squirrelflight," the ghost whispered. "I'm so sorry for the horrible things I've done to you. Please, always know in your heart that I never stopped loving you, not even for a heartbeat."

After the star-covered cat spoke his final words, he licked the she-cat's head and ascended into the night sky where his ancestors and family members were waiting for him.


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter I

The sparkling grass gently swayed back and forth as the subtle breeze blew it along the open field. Millions of stars shone bright in the night sky, cascading light onto the star-frosted cat who sat on the edge of a gorge, which had a swift-flowing river beneath it. The cat swished his gray tail on the ground with his piercing icy-blue gaze fixed onto the bottom of the gorge.

_I'm in StarClan, shouldn't I be happy? My mother and sister are here with me, reunited, but yet I feel this empty hole in my heart that cannot seem to be filled. Squirrelflight…I have left her behind. Why did I try to kill her? That monster inside of me must have gone out of control at that moment. If I could change anything, it would be that moment. _

The cat then stood up and shook the early morning dew off of his smoky pelt and padded away from the edge and towards the now-rising sun across the field.

Eventually, after a quite lonely journey from the gorge to the StarClan camp, he spotted his sister, Ferncloud, who was seen sharing tongues with Hazeltail.

Ferncloud lifted her soft head and gave the gray cat a warm greeting. "Hello, Ashfur. Why didn't you sleep in the camp?"

Ashfur greeted her back by touching his rough nose to her soft pink one. "I just kind of wanted to be alone. It's nice to have some time to yourself to think sometimes."

Ferncloud nodded her head in agreement and went back to grooming her former Clanmate. Ashfur then made his way to the forest to hunt, thinking that hunting might keep his thoughts of Squirrelflight from entering his mind.

The bright green leaves of the trees and the darker leaves of the bushes were familiar to him from ThunderClan, but they were fuller and greener, along with the prey, which was plumper and juicier.

Ashfur opened his jaws to taste the air for any signs of prey that happened to be stirring about the forest floor. He pricked his ears when he heard the flutter of a bird's wings. Quickly glancing around the thickly-wooded area, he spotted a big robin pecking the earth for beetles.

Ashfur dropped into a crouch and slowly and stealthily crept up upon the unsuspecting bird. Once he had gotten close enough, he pounced, purring with satisfaction as he heard the snap of the bird's neck under his paws.

"Great catch, Ashfur."

Ashfur flinched a bit at the voice, unaware that any cat was watching him. He warily turned around to see Firestar, ThunderClan's former leader. The magnificent ginger tom was sitting with his tail curled over his paws. His green gaze shone with admiration.

Ashfur dipped his head respectfully. "I'm sorry, Firestar. You startled me."

Firestar nodded in understanding. "Ferncloud told me that you didn't sleep in the camp tonight because you said you needed to be along to think. Is anything wrong? Anything I can help you with?"

Ashfur didn't reply immediately. He couldn't just tell Firestar that he still had feelings for his daughter. Considering the fact that Ashfur had aided Hawkfrost in his attempt to kill the ThunderClan leader, Firestar would never think anything good about it. "I just miss my Clanmates." He meowed quietly, hoping Firestar would leave him alone.

Firestar rested his tail on Ashfur's shoulder in comfort. "I understand how you feel. I feel like I left my Clan when they needed me most, but they will move on, and so must we."

Ashfur just hung his head low and picked up the robin he had caught, taking it back to the StarClan camp.

By the time Ashfur had returned to the camp, the sunny sky was gone, and it was dark once again. He ate his robin with sad, slow bites and then sulked back to his nest, which was next to Ferncloud's and his mother's, Brindleface. The two gray warriors were already asleep, and Ashfur nestled himself close to them, hoping that sleeping next to his family would give him comfort.

Ashfur gently closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

As soon as he closed his eyes, he was swept with blackness. Ashfur panicked, it felt like he was literally drowning in the darkness. He opened his jaws to cry for help, but no sound escaped his mouth. Images of his dead body, Hollyleaf, and Squirrelflight flashed through his mind.

After what seemed like forever, the blackness and visions stopped and Ashfur opened his eyes to see himself standing in the ThunderClan camp.

Warriors padded around the camp, completely oblivious to Ashfur's presence. Suddenly, a familiar wail came from the nursery. Ashfur recognized the cat's wail immediately; it was Squirrelflight's.

Heart beating loudly in his chest, Ashfur pelted into the nursery, to see Jayfeather and Leafpool standing over Squirrelflight, who was lying in a pool of blood. She was giving birth to kits. Bramblestar was pacing back and forth outside of the nursery as Brackenfur attempted to assure him everything was going to be okay.

Ashfur bent over Squirrelflight like he had done the night right before he had made his journey to StarClan. For a split second, Squirrelflight looked Ashfur in the eye, as if she could see him. Ashfur purred and touched her nose in vain attempts to comfort her.

"Leafpool, bring me dandelion for her pain and cobwebs for the bleeding." Jayfeather said firmly to the light brown medicine cat. "Also chamomile to bring her strength, she's very weak due to loss of blood."

Ashfur watched Leafpool leave the den to retrieve the herbs. His heart hurt that he wasn't able to do anything to help Squirrelflight.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ashfur spotted the ghostly figure of a dark tabby cat. Instead of a star-covered pelt, his pelt was shrouded in smoky shadows. The cat's icy eyes were too familiar for Ashfur not to recognize.

"Hawkfrost! Be gone!" Ashfur hissed at the phantom.

Hawkfrost grinned, showing his sharp yellow teeth. "You're a fool if you think you can save her. She will die, and I will take her to The Place of No Stars, so she cannot be with you. She never loved you!"

Ashfur growled and launched himself at Hawkfrost, scratching his underbelly with his claws. Hawkfrost yowled and swiped a claw at Ashfur's face. Ashfur rolled on top of Hawkfrost and gave him a bite to the throat.

Hawkfrost screamed in surrender and he soon vanished back to the Place of No Stars. Ashfur stood there, panting from the fight when he heard a sigh of relief from the nursery.

Ashfur looked in and saw that Squirrelflight had given birth to two healthy kits; a she-kit and a tom.

"Bramblestar, you can come in now. You have two kits." Leafpool purred.


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter II

Ashfur watched Bramblestar swoop into the nursery and crouch down behind Squirrelflight, murmuring words of comfort and relief to her softly.

Ashfur peered into the nest to get a glimpse of the kits. His eyes softened when he saw a pale-brown tabby and a dark brown kit. He licked the kits' heads gently, even though he knew they weren't aware of his presence. "Don't worry, dear kits. I'll always keep watch over you."

"What are we going to name them?" Squirrelflight asked Bramblestar.

"You can pick the first one," Bramblestar purred.

Squirrelflight pointed at the light brown she-kit. "Brookkit." She announced. "After Brook from the Tribe of Running Water. She has always been a dear friend of mine."

Bramblestar meowed in agreement. "I'd like to name the tom Tawnykit, after my sister. He looks strong just like her."

Ashfur looked at the two strong kits with joy, yet a pang of envy sliced through him sharper than a claw. _Those should be my kits… _He shook away his jealousy and replaced it with the urge to protect these kits no matter what it cost.

"Squirrelflight, you are very fortunate to have survived." Jayfeather meowed, his voice stern and slightly relieved. "You lost a lot of blood during the birth and the chance of you bearing kits was low."

Bramblestar nuzzled his head into Squirrelflight's shoulder protectively. He then looked up at Jayfeather and Leafpool. "We thank you two so much for helping Squirrelflight pull through. ThunderClan couldn't have better medicine cats."

Jayfeather licked his chest with pride and Leafpool gave her sister comforting purrs.

"Brackenfur has done a fine job as the temporary deputy my place." Squirrelflight breathed. "But I do hope I get to return to my duties as soon as possible."

Bramblestar purred. "Jayfeather and Leafpool will see that you do, but you must rest for now."

Ashfur then settled himself behind the two newborn kits and wrapped his thick starry tail around them protectively, beginning to fall sleep to the sound of their pitiful mewling.

Suddenly, the ThunderClan nursery began to fade away into the thick blackness once again.

Ashfur opened his eyes, blinking rapidly. He saw Ferncloud and Brindleface sleeping next to him. He was now back in his nest in StarClan. Ashfur stood up and shook the moss out of his pelt, quietly leaving the den.

The dream he had just had still lingered in his memory. _Was that just a dream, or did that really happen?_

Ashfur half-blindly stumbled through the StarClan camp and out to the Pool of Stars, a place that the StarClan cats used to communicate and send omens to the Clan cats. Maybe he would be able to catch another glimpse of Squirrelflight's kits.

He pelted at full speed through the bright sunny field buzzing with bees and scattered with tiny white flowers. But Ashfur completely ignored the beautiful scenery of StarClan's gorgeous meadows. He hated living here only able to watch his Clanmates from above; he wanted to return with them.

After running aimlessly for a while, Ashfur reached the large black pool dotted with stars, despite the sun that shone brightly from the crystal-clear sky above.

Ashfur lay down, panting from the sprint, and looked into the pool with sorrow. "Brookkit, Tawnykit…. I want to see you again ever so badly." He dropped his head, letting his nose touch the surface of the water, rippling at his touch.

He sighed at the feeling of the freezing water lap at his nose, making it numb. Ashfur then just shook his head, accepting the fact that he may never see the kits he had wished were his own again and stood up.

But as he stood up, Ashfur's paw slipped on one of the loose stones that surrounded the Pool of Stars. The speckled pale-gray warrior let out a shriek before he plummeted into the icy water, consuming him in frigid blackness.


End file.
